Track laying vehicles such as armored tanks conventionally include a track that is driven by a rear drive sprocket from a front idler sprocket below road wheels that are supported by associated suspension systems for jounce and rebound movement so as to thus support the vehicle hull as a sprung mass. One present way of supporting the road wheels is through the use of torsion bars that extend between the opposite sides of the vehicle hull through the crew compartment and thus must be accommodated for in the design of the vehicle.
Road wheels for track laying vehicles have also included gas operated suspension systems such as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,374,005 Donlon et al; 4,447,073 Brandstadter; 4,537,422 O'Rourke; 4,721,328 Chauveau et al; and 4,768,628 Philippe et al. Such gas operated suspension systems must be maintained against gas leakage and temperature variations that affect the spring rate with which the associated road wheel is supported.
Other vehicle suspension apparatus noted during the investigation conducted for the present application are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,551,930 Crabtree and 4,700,970 Joseph.
Nonanalogous art that is unrelated to vehicle wheel suspension but which was noted during the investigated conducted for the present application includes U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,240,121 Patterson which discloses a pump having a cylinder supported by a resilient sleeve for swiveling movement and 4,031,967 Atherton et al which discloses a motor grater having a blade that is supported by a cylinder mounted on a spherical bearing.